Unrequited Love
by Satan'sPixie
Summary: She's watched Severus Snape since they were at school, her love for him never diminishing. What happens when someone unnoticed is finally noticed? Non HBP and DH compliant. SSOC
1. Prologue

_**Unrequited Love**_

_Hey, now I guess that you've probably noticed a pattern with my new stories, they're all about Severus Snape, and this one is no exception. I got the idea for this just randomly and I wondered whether any of the girls would have noticed him when he was in school and whether anything would have happened after Lily Potter's death and Voldemort's defeat. As you might guess this completely ignores DH and also HBP, the only part of DH that this is compliant with is that Harry had to collect Horcruxes to kill Voldemort._

_I don't own Harry Potter, anything in italics beyond this point belongs to JKR or some other author…_

_**Prologue**_

'_**Cause we are brokenWhat must we do to restoreOur innocenceAnd oh, the promise we adored Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole**_' from _**We Are Broken**_ by _**Paramore**_

Voldemort was dead, Harry Potter had finally killed him after years preparing and a year spent finding and destroying Horcruxes. But the side of light was not without its loses, Ron Weasley was killed as he pushed his brother Fred out of the way of a magical explosion, Mad Eye Moody was killed by several death eaters but he took at least six with him. They almost lost Severus Snape in the final battle to Nagini, Voldemort's snake familiar; the only reason he survived was because a brave but unknown witch sliced it in half. After seeing the amount of death and destruction caused by the final battle Dumbledore decided to bring in a new subject, General Defence. Unfortunately, he was unable to find a suitable teacher until two years later.


	2. Chapter 1: Dreams and Memories

_**Unrequited Love**_

_Hey, here's the first chapter. I know that the last one wasn't very long but it __**is**__ the prologue._

_I don't own Harry Potter and anything that you recognise isn't mine…_

_In the first italic section I've changed a couple of words so that it makes sense and still retains a bit of mystery._

'_**I'm gonna go on Living like I never met you And it will wrong at firstBut I think I can forget you**_' from _**Teenagers**_ by _**Paramore**_

_**Chapter 1: Dreams and Memories**_

_She watched helplessly as Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants._

_Many people in the small crowd cheered; Sirius, James and Wormtail roared with laughter._

_Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she were going to smile, said, 'Let him down!'_

'_Certainly,' said James and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground._

Nimue sat up like a shot, she'd been having this dream more and more frequently in the past months. It was one of her worst memories, mainly because _**he**_ was being tormented and she had been unable to help him. Nimue Mael had been in love with Severus Snape ever since she'd seen him on the Hogwarts Express on his and her first day. All it took was one look at his deep and expressive black eyes and she had fallen head over heels for him. That day by the lake during their fifth year was one that she specifically hated, not only had the 'Marauders' humiliated Severus, but Lily had effectively broken his heart on the same day. Nimue had always known that Severus loved Lily but when she saw his face when she found him in a small hidden room a few days later, a deep and pure loathing for Lily Evans rose in her.

She let her thoughts drift back to that day again;

_There was another flash of light, and Snape was once again hanging upside-down in the air._

'_Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?' James smirked. But before he could Nimue's right fist made contact with his jaw. Sirius dropped Severus to the floor before making his way over to her with a menacing look in his eye. He raised his wand to hex her but she somersaulted out the way and smashed her left foot into his nose, rather spectacularly breaking it. Wormtail ran away quivering and James and Sirius glared at Nimue before running off to the Infirmary. Lupin was bent down by Severus who had hit his head on the way down and had been knocked unconscious._

Severus had never found out who'd helped him, James and Sirius had been too ashamed of being hit by a girl to tell anyone who'd done it. Severus had continued his education without noticing her once, much to Nimue's disappointment. Now, twenty years later she was still dwelling on him and trying to forget. Sighing she lay back down and tried to sleep once more.

Severus

Severus Snape sat in his private chambers with a firewhiskey and dwelling on a problem that had been occupying him for the best part of two years. At the final battle someone had saved his life and he didn't know who, she'd turned and ran before he could say anything to her. All he had seen was a swirl of long black hair tied back with a green ribbon and a pair of pale legs that seemed impossibly long under a short black and green skirt. A knock on the door interrupted is revere.

"Severus, are you there?" Albus' voice called out from beyond the door before pushing it open.

"It's a wonder you asked seeing as you've come in anyway." Severus sighed, turning towards the Headmaster.

"Severus, do you remember that idea I had in the days after the final battle?" Albus asked, changing the subject swiftly.

"About teaching General Defence? Of course, if I remember rightly you were having difficulty finding a suitable teacher." Severus replied thoughtfully.

"That's right, I was. However I've now managed to locate a suitable candidate. Severus, might I introduce Professor Nimue Mael. She was using her non-magical defence skills very effectively during the final battle and stuck in my mind as the perfect woman for the job." Albus grinned. Severus looked to the woman who seemed frozen in the doorway. She was tall for a woman, about 6ft which was only 6" shorter than Severus, with a slim waist. Her skin was pale and milky, contrasting sharply with her hair which was long, black and tied at the nape of her neck with an emerald green ribbon. What stood out most about her face were her eyes, like Lily's they were almond shaped but instead of green, they were a deep sapphire blue. Severus thought that she seemed slightly familiar but he couldn't really place her face.

"Nimue, this is Severus Snape, Hogwart's Potions Master." Albus said, breaking the silence of an instant.

Nimue

As soon as she walked through the door she froze, it was him and, after all these years, her hard work at attempting to forget him was shattered. He was taller and his hair was slightly longer than the last time she had seen him but his eyes and facial features were the same. His expression was calmer and more peaceful than she remembered even with his brow furrowed as he tried to remember who she was. She prayed silently, hoping that he would remember and by some miracle know about the day she'd helped him and sweep her into his arms. But he didn't. Albus introduced him to her, obviously not knowing that she knew who he was already. She was happy that he'd gotten his Potions Mastery, she'd had complete faith in him to do so.

After the introductions she fled back to her classroom. Her own office and private chambers were just off from it but she didn't retreat there. Instead she carefully removed her emerald green teaching robes to reveal a black and lime green skirt that came reached mid-thigh on her, black fishnet stockings, a lime green and black corset with matching choker and black boots. She walked over to a record player in the corner of the room and selected an LP of 'Rockin' All Over The World' by Status Quo from 1977. As the rock music began sonding through the classroom she warmed up with a few stretches before doing a few somersaults and back-flips. She then wandered over to her collection of swords. They were heavily warded along with her bow so that the students wouldn't 'borrow' them and cause any damage. For ten minutes she deliberated before selecting her Tiger Folded Katana and setting up the proper equipment for using it. As the song 'Rockin' All Over The World' started she did a few practice swings before somersaulting over to where the equipment was and, using the Japanese Iaido technique, she sliced quickly and cleanly through the targets. Suddenly she was aware that she was not alone.


	3. Chapter 2: Pain means a hard lesson

_**Unrequited Love**_

_Hey, so thanks to everyone who's reviewed and added this story. I originally decided to write it because being unnoticed by someone you like/love is something that quite a lot of women are scared about and I thought that the main character is someone that women can relate to in some ways._

_I don't own Harry Potter and anything that you recognise isn't mine…_

'_**This heart, it beats, beats for only youThis heart, it beats, beats for only youThis heart, it beats, beats for only youMy heart is your's**_' from_** This Heart**_ by _**Paramore**_

_**Chapter 2: Pain means a hard lesson…**_

_**Last time…**_

_Suddenly she was aware that she was not alone._

She whirled around to look at the door of her classroom. Stood frozen to the spot in surprise was Severus.

"W-w-what are you doing here?" Nimue said, stammering in her nervousness.

"I just wanted to ask about the final battle. Albus said that you were there but I'm afraid I don't remember seeing you." He said, snapping out of it.

"I'm not surprised, part of my training is in how to move around unnoticed." She said, slightly bitterly. He'd never noticed her but she couldn't make a big deal out of that fact or she'd have to admit that she'd been in love with him for years. That would leave her vulnerable which is something that a true Slytherin avoids at all costs.

"What training is that then?" He asked, interest sparking in his eyes.

"I've studied various forms of martial arts." She replied, feeling slightly sad that the only interest he was taking in her was to do with learning.

"There is more than type?" He asked, definitely curious by this time.

"Of course, I've studied Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Karate, Kendo, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Chanbara, Choi Kwang Do, Iaido, Kickboxing, Kyudo, Ninjutsu and Shintaido as well as fencing and archery, all to a master level, but there are still many types to learn." She smirked, feeling oddly proud. His eyes slowly grew wider as the list got longer; he was feeling very impressed that Nimue had had the discipline to learn no less than 14 types of marital arts.

"Would you teach me some of them?" He asked, ignoring his hatred of admitting that he didn't know something.

"I don't know…" She said, she wasn't sure if she could handle being alone in the same room as him.

It was at that moment that Albus decided to enter the room.

"I think it's a wonderful idea." He grinned at her. She groaned inwardly, of course he'd heard that, he seemed to know everything.

"Fine, we could start now if you'd like." She nodded, feigning nonchalance. Severus nodded and walked farther into the room.

"Excellent! Well, I'll leave you to it then." Albus grinned before walking away.

"You might want to remove your robes, they'll only get in the way." She said as she closed the door and walked over to her weapons cabinet. Placing her Katana back carefully she selected two _shinai_ which are Japanese equipment which represents a Katana and are made up of 4 bamboo slats. When she turned back to where Severus was stood she saw that he'd removed his black voluminous robes and was stood in just his black frockcoat, white shirt and black trousers.

"We'll start with Kendo, a modern Japanese sword-fighting martial art based on traditional swordsmanship." She said briskly, handing him one of the _shinai_.

"Why are we using these rather than swords if Kendo is a form of Japanese sword-fighting?" Severus asked, apprehensively taking hold of it.

"You have to start somewhere." Was Nimue's reply.

She turned and walked away from him, purposefully showing him her back. As she guessed he would, Severus did the typical Slytherin thing and tried to attack her from behind but she had a sort of sixth sense for danger and whirled around to stop his _shinai_ with hers before it even got close to her.

"First lesson, don't attack someone from behind. It goes against the code of honour that all martial arts are part of." She said, flicking her wrist slightly so that his _shinai_ flew out of his hand and across the room. He walked over to it and picked it up before turning back to Nimue. He did very well and became quite proficient in the basics. Soon she stopped.

"Right, let's try some freestyle fighting. Try and hit me." She said. Severus smirked, he felt sure that he could do that numerous times. Soon they were going at it hammer and tongs. The fight ensued for several hours and the various paintings of Samurai warriors around the room watched in quiet amusement as Nimue and Severus tried to hit each other with the bamboo poles. Finally she allowed her _shinai_ to be knocked out of her hand and too the floor. She dropped down and swiped his legs out from under him with her left leg before picking up her _shinai_ and smacking him firmly on the head with it with a resounding crack.

"Don't underestimate your opponent, they'll use all their skills against you." She smirked at his shocked and outraged face. He stood up, dusted himself off and rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"How very Slytherin of you." He said dryly.

"Of course, I _**was**_ a Slytherin. No matter what we learn we always retain the skills and traits that we learnt here at Hogwarts." She grinned.

"I _**had**_ wondered what House you were in, you seem familiar but I'm afraid that I can't quite place you." He admitted. Nimue felt like her heart was soaring for a moment when he said that she seemed familiar but quickly felt like it was breaking when he admitted to not being able to place her.

"That's alright, I was the quiet one who avoided confrontations. In fact, I can only think of one confrontation that I had in my entire seven years." She said, forcing a smile.

"Really? What happened?" He asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"Well, it was in my fifth year and a couple of people were picking on someone so I punched the ring-leader in the jaw and then, when one of his best friends was going to hex me I somersaulted out the way before kicking him in the face and breaking his nose. If I remember rightly, neither of them said who'd hit them because they were too embarrassed about being beaten up by a girl; and they made their friends promise not to say anything." She smirked at the memory. Severus burst out laughing, something which he rarely did. Nimue thought that he had a very pleasant laugh, it was deep but almost musical at the same time.

"I wish you'd been in my year, I might have asked you for help with the Marauders." He said when he could finally speak. Nimue smiled somewhat sadly and nodded.

"I think we'd better finish up there, it's late and I need to be fully rested for my first lesson tomorrow." She said, trying to keep her heartbreak out of her voice. Severus nodded, looking slightly confused before handing her his _shinai_ and exiting the room. Nimue put the _shinai_ away before running to her room and throwing herself on her bed and sobbing her heart out, crying herself to sleep. One of the paintings in her room looked at her worriedly before exiting their painting to tell Dumbledore what was happening.


	4. Chapter 3: An attack and a coma

**Unrequited Love**

Hey, so thanks to everyone who's reviewed and added this story. I know that I've already posted a new chapter before this apology but I already had it written. Sorry it's taken me **soooooo** long to update, I've just been really busy for a while. But I'm stuck at home with Swine Flu at the moment so I thought I might as well get some writing done. It's really not a nice illness; seriously, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy…and that's saying something! I really hope that none of you get it.

I don't own Harry Potter and anything that you recognise isn't mine…

'_**I think we have an emergency I think we have an emergencyIf you thought I'd breathe then you were wrongBecause I won't stop holding onSo are you listening?So are you watching me?If you thought I'd breathe then you were wrongBecause I won't stop holding onThis is an emergencySo are you listening?And I can't pretend that I don't see thisIt's really not your fault**_' from _**Emergency**_ by _**Paramore**_

_**Chapter 3: An attack and a coma…**_

Nimue woke up with a raging headache.

'_That's what comes of crying yourself to sleep._' She thought. She drank a headache potion before getting up and preparing for the day. She pulled on a short emerald green and black gingham skirt and an emerald green and black checked t-shirt with a collar and a black tie. She then rummaged through her sock drawer to find something to add to her punk look. Finally she found what she was looking for, a pair of black fishnet tights. After pulling them on she grabbed a pair of black pirate-style boots with stiletto heels and lacing on the side with emerald ribbon. She tied her long hair back with a matching emerald ribbon before getting started on her make-up. Her skin was naturally pale enough to suit a punk look without using make-up to make it paler. She ringed her eyes with thick black eyeliner and used bright ruby lipstick before using her favourite Ginger and Inca Lily perfume. She added a pair of black lace wrist-warmers, tucked her wand into the top of her right boot and threw on a set of emerald green teaching robes before heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Her first class passed uneventfully, as did her second and third. Luckily for her she only had three classes a day as she was quite exhausted by the end of the third one. She was just taking a walk by the lake when she heard some screaming and what sounded like cracks of apparition. She ran towards the sounds to see a group of about thirty rogue Deatheaters attacking various students. She whipped out her wand and cast several stunners, effectively stunning the Deatheaters they she hit. Placing a shield around the students she forced them behind her and summoned her longbow and quiver of about 10 arrows as well as one of her favourite swords. She caught them as they flew towards her before strapping the sword around her waist and the quiver to her back. Almost slowly she softly ran her hands over the smooth dark wood of the bow before she gripped the dark brown leather grip with her pale left hand. With her right she reached behind her back and pulled out a long arrow, made from a dark wood with fletching made from dark green feathers. She notched it on the nylon bow-string, keeping her right index finger above it on the string and her right middle finger below it on the string. Taking a deep breath, which she held, she drew back the bow-string and held the arrow level with her eye. She lined up her arrow with the group of Deatheaters and released her breath as she let fly. The string caught her wrist slightly as the bow sprang back to it's original shape, leaving a slight red mark; it hurt but nowhere near as much as when Nimue had been hit by a _Cruciatus_ in her youth. The arrow whizzed through the air before burying itself deep in the chest of the closest Deatheaters. However, even though he was the closest he was still at least 300 feet away due to the shield that Nimue had cast. He stared down stupidly at the arrow that was protruding from his chest, his brown eyes slightly glassy before he fell and breathed no more.

"Get inside the school!" Nimue shouted to the students while pulling out another arrow. The students immediately complied and ran to the safety of the castle and, Nimue hoped, to get help.

This time, when Nimue fired her arrow she angled it up so that it flew over the heads of the closest Deatheaters and killed one of the ones hiding at the back. She repeated this process several times, either firing straight and firing up but never allowing a noticeable pattern to emerge, until she ran out of arrows. As she let her final arrow loose she swung her bow over her head and put her right arm through so that it was slung over her back with the now empty quiver. Throughout her onslaught of arrows, which seemed to her to last hours but in reality only lasted 5 minutes, the Deatheaters were too stunned by the fact that she was casually picking them off from a distance to try and fire a spell at her but when they realised that she'd not run out of arrows they rushed towards her, intent on murder. As the first one drew near her she whipped her sword out of its scabbard. It was about 36" with a straight blade and a groove down the middle of both flats. The hilt was of a slightly darker metal with a slightly curving guard and a dark green leather grip. He pommel was plain except for a small emerald on either side. Before the raging Deatheater could reach her she slashed across his chest with the sword. She fought hard, dodging hexes and curses as well as cutting each of the Deatheaters to little bits.

By the time Albus and Severus reached the scenethere were only 3 Deatheaters left and she was sweating and shattered. Just as they reached her she faltered and was hit by a _Sectumsempra _and a _Cruciatus. _Her sword fell from her hands and she dropped to the ground silently. Albus quickly set about binding the Deatheaters as Severus rushed to Nimue's side to tend to her wounds. She was barely breathing and had lost a lot of blood from the slash wounds from the curse. Once he'd sealed them Severus made as if to pick her up but out of her right sleeve shot a small, smooth, green snake, about 8" in length, with a faintly yellow underbelly and black eyes. It slid onto Nimue's body and sat up, staring at Severus. He moved closer to her to try again to pick her up. The snake did _**not**_ like that. It hissed viciously at him and bared its fangs.

"I'm not going to hurt her. She's injured and needs to get to the infirmary so she can be healed properly." Severus explained calmly. The snake appeared to mull over what he said for a few seconds before nodding slightly and lying back down.

"Thank you." Severus nodded as he picked her up. Once he had her carefully against his chest he looked to see how Albus was doing. He'd actually finished binding the Deatheaters with chains and was striding over to Severus.

"I'm just taking her to the infirmary Albus." Severus said as Albus neared him.

"Alright Severus, I'm going to wait here for the Aurors." Albus nodded. Severus strode away with Nimue in the direction of the infirmary. The snake stood up again once they got inside the castle making Severus slightly nervous but as it turned out, he didn't need to be. The snake slid over to his arm and promptly slid up his arm. It carried on until it was at his neck before draping itself round and falling asleep. He chuckled lightly as there were no students around, they were all in lessons. He reached the infirmary quickly and burst in. Madame Pomfrey looked up startled when she saw him.

"Severus, what happened?" She gasped.

"Nimue was in a fight with around thirty Deatheaters. By the time Albus and I got there, there were only three left. One of them hit her with a _Sectumsempra _and a _Cruciatus_." He explained, placing her gently on a hospital bed. Madame Pomfrey chased Severus out, not even letting him leave the snake so that she could examine her. The snake (who had woken up as Severus was trying to explain that he just wanted to leave the snake) hissed at her but it did no good. Once the door had been shut Severus looked at the snake.

"Well that went well." He said dryly.

He took the snake down to his office to wait while Madame Pomfrey performed the exam. Once there the snake slid down onto his desk and looked at him.

"So you're Nimue's familiar?" He asked it. It nodded in reply.

"What's your name? If you can find some way to tell me, of course." He asked curiously. The snake looked around and spotted something that interested it. It slid over to and emerald green quill that Albus had given Severus for Christmas the year before. It bumped its nose against it then looked at him. When he didn't seem to understand it did it again.

"Feather?" He asked, hoping that Nimue had more taste in a name for her familiar than that. The snake shook its head and slid over to a book with an emerald green cover, doing the same as it did to the quill. After a few moments Severus tried the one thing that he thought they had in common.

"Green?" Another shake.

"Emerald?" The snake paused, then nodded before shaking its head.

"So you're called Emerald but you're not?" He asked. Another nod.

"Are you called Emerald in another language?" He asked, having a sudden flash of inspiration. The snake nodded.

"Is it a European language." He asked and the snake answered with a nod. He then tried naming different languages.

"French?" The snake shook its head.

"Spanish?" Again, the snake said no.

"German?" Another shake. Severus tried pretty much every language he could think of and, just as he was about to give up he had another flash of inspiration.

"Welsh?" The snake stood up and nodded enthusiastically. Smirking Severus wrote the word 'emerald' on a piece of paper and cast a translation charm on it. The word shifted until it became 'Emrallt'.

"You called Emrallt?" He asked finally. The snake nodded again.

"If it's not too much of a personal question Emrallt, are you a female snake?" He asked, feeling slightly awkward, not knowing what the etiquette for that sort of thing was. Luckily for him Emrallt liked him and was amused but his question. With a snakey smile Emrallt nodded. She then slithered towards his right arm and slid up his sleeve, leaving about 2 inches of her tail poking out of his sleeve, where she went to sleep. Severus chuckled again and decided to go to the infirmary to see how Nimue was doing.

When he got there Albus was stood by her bed with Poppy Pomfrey. They looked up at him.

"What are you doing back here Severus?" Poppy asked.

"I thought I'd see how Nimue is. That and I was going to return her familiar, Emrallt." He replied, holding up the arm with Emrallt.

"What's that thing doing?!" Poppy asked with alarm.

"Sleeping it would seem." Severus chuckled again, causing Poppy to stare and Albus' eyes to twinkle.

"So how's Nimue?" He asked. Poppy and Albus both looked sad. Poppy sighed before answering Severus.

"She's better but not all the way there. She's in a coma, and I have no idea when she'll wake up."

_Lol, what did you think of Emrallt? The bit where she slide's up Severus' sleeve and falls asleep is inspired by something that actually happened to my dad. Seriously. Someone where he works took a snake in and while my dad was holding it, it slid up his sleeve and went to sleep with part of its tail poking out._


	5. Chapter 4: Who Are You?

_Unrequited Love_

_**Hey, special thanks to my new beta, KhaosRyu, she's the one that helped make this chapter so clear.**_

'_**I am finding out that maybe I was wrong That I've fallen down and I can't do this alone Stay with me, this is what I need, please?**_' From _**My Heart **_by _**Paramore**_

_**Chapter 4: Who are you?**_

**Last time:**

_Poppy sighed before answering Severus._

"_She's better but not all the way there. She's in a coma, and I have no idea when she'll wake up."_

"What? How?" Severus asked, stunned. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that Nimue was going to be unconscious for an indeterminate amount of time.

"She lost consciousness due to blood loss but it seems that the _Cruciatus_ that she was hit with was a shock to her system. That is what, coupled with the blood loss, caused her to slip into the coma." Albus explained, his face calm but his voice shook.

"Is there no way to reach her?" Severus asked, not entirely sure why this news had hit him so hard.

"All we can do is wait and hope that she wakes soon." Albus sighed.

That's what they did.

Severus continued to care for Emrallt and in fact was the one who spent the most time sat with Nimue. He wasn't sure why, just that he felt almost drawn to her.

It was three months later when there was a sign that she was becoming more alert. Severus was sat beside her bed, watching Emrallt snuggle up to Nimue's face beneath her long hair (which Severus had refused to let Poppy to cut, again for some unknown reason).

Suddenly his expert Legilimency senses caught the faintest of images from her mind. He'd been talking to her, trying to remember why she looked so familiar when he mentioned Lily Potter. Instantly there was an image of sixteen-year-old Lily along with a sense of anger and hatred.

Shocked, Severus stopped and waited but there was nothing. Curious, he mentioned Lily again and was once more hit by the image and feelings. Hardly daring to hope he rushed and fetched Poppy and flooed Albus. Poppy did indeed confirm that Nimue was showing signs of trying to communicate.

"I don't think it will be much longer before she wakes up." Poppy smiled, leaving Albus and Severus with Nimue.

"Astounding, it seems that she has inherited her ancestor's talent for projecting her thoughts." Albus grinned, with his normal twinkle in his eyes, as he left. Severus sat down beside Nimue again.

"What did he mean by that?" He asked, hoping that she'd answer him.

Suddenly he was struck by the image of a young Nimue with her parents behind her. Her mother had the same long black hair and deep blue eyes as Nimue while her father also had black hair but with grey eyes.

Strangely enough, her mother was slightly taller than her father, yet still shorter than Nimue. Behind her parents were their parents but the image didn't let them look too closely at them, rather it started following the descent of her mother's side. Finally the image stopped at a woman who looked exactly like Nimue except for the fact that the woman had chestnut brown hair.

The image changed slightly to show Nimue and the woman stood side by side, probably to enhance the fact that they could have been twins. Then Nimue faded from the image, only to be replaced by a tall young man with black hair and green eyes. The young man started to age until he was an old wizard with a long white beard. Severus felt like he should know who the wizard was. Suddenly, it hit him.

"Merlin's Beard!" He swore suddenly. He picked up a certain amount of amusement from Nimue as he said that and found himself chuckling slightly at the irony.

"So you're a direct descendent of Merlin?" He asked, still slightly surprised. Another image filled his mind, it was the word Merlin crossed out and replaced with the word Myrddin.

"His name was actually Myrddin? Why was it changed?" He asked confused but noticing the fact that she hadn't directly answered his question. She sent an image of the French flag into his mind.

"The French changed it, strange. Who was the woman?" He asked determined to find out more.

This time the image was very intense, it was actually cold and very dark. A light started heading towards him, piercing the darkness. As it got closer he saw that it was the figure of a person,

'_No, a woman._' He corrected himself.

Soon it got close enough for him to make out the facial features. At that point it took him less than ten seconds to realise that it was Nimue and only slightly longer to realise that she'd somehow pulled him into her mind.

"How are you doing this?" He asked her when she reached him.

"It's one of the skills that was passed onto me. The fact that you're an expert at Legilimency makes it easier than normal as well. I thought it would be easier to actually talk to you but I realised that you probably didn't want to wait for me to wake up so this **is** the only way." She smiled.

Severus had never noticed how musical and soft her voice was before but as she was speaking, something in his mind clicked. He remembered that voice on one of the worst days of his life.

He kept that knowledge to himself for now.

"So who was the woman with Myrddin?" He asked, his normally confident voice not quite so sure when he used Merlin's original name.

"She was his wife." Nimue smiled softly. The darkness around them shifted and they were stood on a wet and windy hillside beside a lake.

"Where are we?" Severus asked, looking around, his hair flying round his face in the wind.

"Llyn Ogwen in North Wales. It's where my family have lived since the beginning. Myrddin moved here shortly after his marriage as his wife couldn't leave the lakeside for very long." Nimue said, turning to look at him, her own hair flying about in the wind as well.

"Why couldn't she leave the lakeside?" He'd never heard of a person who couldn't leave a geographical location. He had to admit though that it was a beautiful location, the air smelled fresh and cool, even though the wind was a bit bracing.

"She was the Lady of the Lake, one of the Faerie from Avalon." She replied, looking away to stare at the light on the lake.

"I never knew that he was married." Severus finally said.

"Not many people do. They married in a very quiet ceremony. He kept it quiet about where they lived, as well. It's odd, she was blamed for it when he decided to stop involving himself with the Wizarding world. It was even rumoured that she locked him in a rock to steal his magic. Which is rubbish! She was more powerful than he was!" Nimue growled fiercely at the end of her reply.

For a while they were both silent after her outburst.

"What was her name?" Severus asked finally.

"She's been given many names; Elaine, Viviane, Niniane, Nyneve. Of course her actual name was much simpler, she was called 'Nimue'. She's my namesake." She replied with a slight smile.

Suddenly a cold wind blew then causing her to shiver slightly. Instinctually, Severus stepped closer to her and wrapped his cloak around her.

"You didn't need to do that… We're not actually here so my body, and yours, is perfectly warm." She said softly, her voice barely audible.

"It's cold here in your mind." He said, quirking up the left side of his mouth.

He reached out and gently pulled some of her hair out from under the collar of the cloak. It was quite thick and heavy, but was soft and silky. He and Nimue stood looking at each other in silence for several moments.

Suddenly, just as unexpectedly as she had pulled him into her mind, she pushed him out.

When he looked around he saw that he was still in the infirmary at Hogwarts, confirming what Nimue had said about them not actually being at Llyn Ogwen. It seemed that while he was in her mind, his body had been asleep because it was dark outside whereas it had been late afternoon at the latest when he had entered.

He glanced at Nimue; she looked so calm and peaceful. Gently, he smoothed some of her hair away from her face, remarking to himself that it felt as soft in reality as it did in her mind. He reached down and picked Emrallt up from around her neck. The side of his hand brushed against the pale skin, letting him feel how soft and smooth her flesh was.

He dwelled on this as he walked back to his chambers and while he got ready for bed that night. As he slid under the green silk sheets he pondered on the pieces of the puzzle of who Nimue was.


	6. Chapter 5: What is this feeling?

_**Unrequited Love**_

_Hey guys! Sorry it's taken so long to update, work and Uni has kept me really busy lately. Ok, enough of the lame excuses. Thank you to everyone who has added me or this story to various lists since last time as well as those who've stuck with my story, I really appreciate it. And thanks to my wonderful Beta: KhaosRyu, she's brilliant!_

'_**And I've always lived like this**_

_**Keeping it comfortable, distance**_

_**And up until now**_

_**I'd sworn to myself that I'm content**_

_**With loneliness**_

_**Because none of it was ever worth the risk, but**_

_**You, are, the only exception**_

_**You, are, the only exception**_

_**You, are, the only exception**_

_**You, are, the only exception**_' from _**The Only Exception**_ by _**Paramore**_

_**What is this feeling?**_

Severus awoke refreshed but slightly disconcerted. He'd fallen asleep quickly but it was far from dreamless like normal.

Instead he found himself in what had been his private room years earlier, when he had been at Hogwarts as a student. He felt a familiar sense of peace as he saw the deep forest green walls and emerald green carpet; his decorating tastes hadn't changed, the walls and carpets in his rooms remained the same as it had been during his student days.

Suddenly a noise from a door made of a dark mahogany wood that matched the four-poster bed, the desk, the chair and the trunk.

Briefly Severus remembered that this door led to the corridor rather than to his private bathroom before it burst open and a younger version of himself ran into the room. His 18-year-old self slammed the door before crumpling to the floor next to his bed. Severus watched silently as his younger counterpart started sobbing, he remembered the immobilising grief that he'd felt that day. It was the day that his heart had been broken by the one person he'd ever let get truly close to him.

Suddenly the door was opened quietly and a young woman with long black hair that covered her face entered. She was wearing a Slytherin uniform like him and seemed to be in the same year. Quietly she knelt beside him and softly placed a hand on his shoulder. Severus could still remember the soft warmth of her gentle touch, even after all those years. The young Severus stiffened at first when he felt her touch but when she didn't harm him he gradually relaxed. Cautiously she wrapped her arm around his shaking body and held him, silently comforting him.

After a short time she took a deep breath and began to sing. He recognised the soft lilting melody of her voice, forming a beautiful music all of its own. He didn't understand the language but recognised it as a Celtic language.

'_Probably Welsh._' He thought to himself as he watched the girl comforting his younger self.

"_**Ar lan hen afon Ddyfrdwy ddofn**_

_**Eisteddai glan forwynig;**_

_**Gan ddistaw sibrwd wrth'i hun**_

"_**Gadawyd fi yn unig,**_

_**Heb gar na chyfaill yn y byd,**_

_**Na chartref chwaith fynd iddo;**_

_**Drws ty fy nhad sydd wedi'i gloi,**_

'_**Rwy'n wrthodedig heno."**_

_**Mae bys gwaradwydd ar fy ol,**_

_**Yn nodi fy ngwendidau,**_

_**A llanw 'mywyd wedi ei droi,**_

_**A'i gladdu dan y tonnau;**_

_**Ar allor serch aberthwyd fi,**_

_**Do, collais fy anrhydedd,**_

_**A dyna'r achos pa'm yr wyf**_

_**Fi heno'n wael fy agwedd.**_

_**Ti frithyll bach, sy'n chwareu'n llon**_

_**Yn nyfroedd glan yr afon,**_

_**Mae gennyt ti gyfeillion fyrdd,**_

_**A noddfa rhag gelynion;**_

_**Cei fyw a marw dan y dwr.**_

_**Heb neb i dy adnabod,**_

_**O! na chawn innau fel tydi,**_

_**Gael marw, a dyna dwarfed.**_

_**Ond 'hedeg mae fy meddwl prudd,**_

_**I fyd sydd eto i ddyfod,**_

_**A chofia dithau fradwr tost,**_

_**Rhaid i ti fy nghyfarfod;**_

_**Mae meddwl am dy eiriau di**_

_**A byw, i mi yn ormod,**_

_**O, afon ddofn, derbynia fi,**_

_**Caf wely ar dy waelod.**_

_**Y boreu trannoeth cafwyd hi**_

_**Yn nyfroedd glan yr afon.**_

_**A darn o bapur yn ei llaw,**_

_**Ac arno'r ymadroddion:**_

_**"Gwnewch immi fedd mewn unig fan,**_

_**Na chodwch faen na chofnod,**_

_**I nodi'r fan lle gorwedd llwch**_

_**Yr Eneth ga'dd ei Gwrthod." **_

Her voice was sweet and pure and an unknown feeling of tranquillity settled upon him. The scene changed and he was suddenly by Llyn Ogwen again. He felt a sense of hope as he looked around for Nimue but she was nowhere in sight. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he whirled around to glare at the owner.

His glare faltered as he came face to face with Merlin, or Myrddin as Nimue had told him was his real name. Myrddin wasn't angry however, instead, to Severus' surprise, he laughed.

"I can see why she loves you." He chuckled.

"Who?" Severus asked, when he'd finally recovered enough from his shock to speak.

"I'm afraid you'll have to figure that out for yourself." Myrddin replied, still smiling.

"But enough of that." Myrddin continued before pausing and seemingly staring into space without blinking for a while. Severus started to get a bit bored after a while and started shifting nervously, not sure of what to make of his dream. Finally Myrddin blinked rapidly for a few seconds.

"She's losing hope, she'll give up on you soon and we don't want that to happen." Myrddin said seriously.

"Why? What does it matter if she gives up on me?" Severus said bitterly, recalling the last woman to give up on him.

"Our kind only falls in love once, and if we give up on the one we love, believing that they will never returning that love, then we die." Myrddin replied, his face anxious and his tone worried.

"Die?!?! For gods' sakes man! Tell me who she is!" Severus said, shocked.

"I can't, like I said, you've got to work that out for yourself. All I _**can**_ tell you is that if she dies then a demon that she helped bind to Hell will return to wreak havoc once more. And this time he won't be stopped." Myrddin was grim and the hairs on the back of Severus' neck raised.

"When did she help bind the demon?" He finally asked, wondering if that would help him figure out who she was.

"At the final battle; _**you**_ knew the demon as Voldemort, she helped Harry Potter bind the demon by donating a drop of her blood and the spell to do it. If she dies or becomes too weak then the spell will unravel. If that happens then only the blood of a Faerie or one who has been chosen by a Faerie will re-bind him." Myrddin continued, his voice grave.

Before Severus could ask any more the scene started to fade. The last thing he heard was Myrddin's voice calling out

"If you need to talk to me then close your eyes and call out with your mind, then I will come."

When Severus opened his eyes dawn was just breaking. He was grateful that it was a Saturday and that he had no classes. He rose and showered before dressing in black trousers and a white poet's shirt with a black frock coat. Throwing on his normal billowing black teaching robes he picked Emrallt up and placed her on his shoulder before going to the Great Hall for an early breakfast. Once he'd eaten then he rushed up to the Infirmary to check on Nimue.

"How is she Poppy?" He asked.

"Her wounds are healed but for some reason she's not waking, she's just getting weaker." Poppy said, tears running down her face.

In the short time that she'd known her, Poppy Pomfrey had really come to care for Nimue and couldn't bear the thought of what would happen if she still continued to weaken.

Severus was filled with dread and turned even paler than normal.

He rushed to her side and tried to use Legillimency on her. It wouldn't work, she was so close to death that her mind was beyond him. After putting Emrallt with her dying mistress, he sat back and thought about how he could save her.

For some reason, the idea of her dying choked him up; he'd never felt more helpless than he had in that moment. In desperation he closed his eyes and shouted in his mind

"_**Myrddin**_!" For a few seconds nothing happened but, then the lakeside started to materialise along with Myrddin.

"What can I do for you?" Myrddin asked, the clearly desperate Severus.

"Please, you've got to help me save Nimue." Severus replied, the strange fear and desperation welling up inside him once more.

"Why do _**you**_ want to save her?" Myrddin asked calmly. "As you Slytherins would say 'What's in it for you?'"

"Because I…" Severus paused for a moment, uncharacteristically unsure of what his next words would be.

"Because you what? Love her?" Myrddin asked, looking intensely at the younger wizard.

And, in that moment, Severus realised that she'd never left his thoughts since her return to Hogwarts, even though he'd never realised it before. He also realized, with a shock, that it was Nimue that killed Nagini and thus saved his life.

As he thought about Nimue, a slightly foreign feeling that he hadn't felt in years washed over him. With a shock he recognised it as love, he did love Nimue! He'd just never known it.

"Yes," he whispered. "Yes, I love her." He said, slightly louder this time. Myrddin let out a slightly relieved sigh.

"Then I can help you." Myrddin smiled.

_Btw, if you want to know what the song in Welsh actually means, it's called 'The Rejected Maiden'. The idea behind it is it's Nimue singing about herself because she sees that Severus is so in love with Lily that he'd reject Nimue if she ever told him of her feelings._


	7. Important Author Note

_**IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE!**_

_Hey guys, this is an author note just to say sorry it's been so long since I've updated any of my stories. Unfortunately my laptop was infected by a virus which completely killed it so I had to wipe my laptop completely and the wireless internet was one of the things that was removed when it was wiped. I've only just got it back on so I'll be able to start updating more often now. I'm really sorry guys, thanks for being so patient._


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